Idlewild

Inspired by the decadence and romance of air travel’s resplendent years, Idlewild takes guests on a journey through the era’s greatest hits – popular travel destinations along the transatlantic route, music that defined that generation and the indulgence and luxury that underscored it all.

Each element has been interpreted for a modern age from a stellar cocktail programme featuring modern craft spirits infused with influences from around the globe, to a live band playing postmodern tunes. Expect an eclectic mix of music from the late 1940s to 1960s from pulsing, rhythmic funk and soul to booming big band swing sounds and haunting, heart wrenching blues. Smooth, lilting jazz tunes take centre stage this month with London-born singer

songwriter Janine Annice in town as the first lead singer at Idlewild accompanied by a four-piece house band.

Idlewild, the original name of the John F. Kennedy International Airport, was at the heart of the action when the first commercial transatlantic flight took to the skies in the 1940s, heralding three decades of what we would come to know as the Golden Age of air travel as travellers set off to exotic lands in search of untold stories and new adventures.

The bar tells the story of the Golden Age of air travel and takes guests back to that era of glamour and luxury, bringing back that sense of wonder and joy of venturing into the unknown that permeated those early days.

The cocktail programme was inspired by 10 cities along the popular Transatlantic Route – Dublin, Rome, Lima, Lisbon, New York, Casablanca, London, Paris, Mexico City and Havana. 20 signature cocktails are artfully created using innovative and modern techniques and include a variety of artisanal spirits often sourced from small batch distilleries in each location, and rare vintages. Each location is also represented with a tapas-style bar snack.

Begin your journey in England at one of London’s finest entertainment establishments – the Shaftesbury Theatre – where some of the most famous musicals including The Phantom of the Opera, Rent and West Side Story once played. Its elegant, enduring nature is encapsulated in the cocktail of its namesake – a blend of London Dry Gin, dry vermouth, Chartreuse Genepi and black lemon bitters – a classic drink for a modern age.

Next, perhaps a pitstop in Cuba with a Passage to Havana, a rich, dry blend of house Cuban rum, Amontillado and Pedro Ximénez sherries and Foro Amaro for a herbal hint, with the addition of tobacco tincture for a tickle of heat at the back of the throat. A layover in Mexico follows with the Sugarloaf, a heady blend of pineapple rum and cognac, shaken with house-fermented pineapple skin tepache, tamarind, lime and sugar – complete with a mini ‘taco’ hand-rolled from pineapple leather and pickled watermelon rind. There are no wrong decisions here.

Location: InterContinental Singapore, Lobby Level, 80, Middle Rd, Singapore 188966

Phone: +65 6825 1045

Link: https://idlewild.sg/